Seychelles backs anti-sanctions lobby

Seychelles has thrown its weight behind Zimbabweâ€™s National Anti-sanctions Petition Campaign, with its President, Mr. James Michel, pledging to use every available international platform to call for their immediate removal.

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The message from President Michel was delivered to Vice President Joice Mujuru by the Seychelles Foreign Minister, Mr. Jean Paul Adam on Sunday.

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In an interview after meeting Minister Adam, VP Mujuru said it is important for SADC countries to speak with one voice on the issue of the illegal sanctions.

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â€œThe message was an exciting message that the President (Mr. Michel) himself decided to send his Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Jean Paul Adam, to tell me that they are prepared to talk about the total lifting of sanctions and that there is no reason why they should harm the country,â€ she said.

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VP Mujuru said this showed that the anti-sanctions lobby launched by the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Robert Mugabe, had opened the eyes of the international community.

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â€œThe anti-sanctions lobby was the mother of all rallies. It has opened the eyes of not only regional countries but also the whole world. I think it has sent the message that this is not working,â€Â Cde MujuruÂ said.

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About 1,4 million Zimbabweans last Wednesday converged in Harare to lobby from the removal of the illegal Western sanctions.

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VP Mujuru said the illegal embargo on Zimbabwe had caused untold suffering to the general populace and business.

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â€œNow SADC is speaking with one voice and working as a group. It (message) came as a surprise because it came as I was at the airport preparing to take off,â€ she said.

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VP Mujuru, who was leading a high-powered Zimbabwean tourism delegation to Seychelles for the International Carnaval de Victoria, said this in Mauritius on her way back home.

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SADC and the African Union have on several occasions called for the lifting sanctions imposed by the country at the instigation of Britain and the United States of America after government had successfully embarked on the agrarian land reform.

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Only last week, Namibia called for the immediate removal of sanctions and pledged to organise anti-sanctions rallies in that country to show that the illegal embargo is hurting the economy.